Marlin 1894 Classic: the great lever-action rifle is back!
Ruger Firearms reintroduces the legendary Marlin Model 1894 Classic lever action rifle, retaining the traditional characteristics that made this a truly iconic rifle albeit with precise, advanced manufacturing features that make this rifle the best it can be
Acquired back in 2007 by the Remington Outdoor Company and gone bankrupt with it in 2020, the Marlin Firearms company – one of the best-known brands in classic American gunmaking, well known worldwide for its lever-action and rimfire rifles – currently survives as a brand owned and operated by Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., which purchased the Marlin brand in late 2020 and currently manufactures Marlin firearms at the Mayodan, North Carolina plant.
The latest step in Ruger's lengthy operation to re-launch and re-establish the Marlin Firearms brand as a relevant global player in hunting and sport shooting firearms is the re-introduction of a great classic: the Marlin Model 1894 Classic .44 Magnum lever-action rifle, one of Marlin's best known and most appreciated designs.
Marlin Model 1894 Classic .44 Magnum lever-action rifle – right side
The Marlin Model 1894 Classic lever-action rifle ejects spent cases from the right side, and feeds through a magazine tube installed under the barrel and filled via a dedicated port located to the right side of the frame; the tube will hold up to ten rounds of .44 Magnum or eleven rounds of the softer-shooting .44 Special. The receiver, trigger guard, and lever of the Model 1894 Classic are CNC-machined out of alloy steel forgings, with a satin blued finish.
Marlin Model 1894 Classic .44 Magnum lever-action rifle – left side
The 51 cm / 20.25" barrel is instead cold-hammer forged out of the same satin blued alloy steel, and features six extremely accurate right-hand grooves with a 1:20" twist rate. The stock and handguard are manufactured out of American black walnut, with clean and crisp checkerings on all contact surfaces, a set of sling swivel studs, and a rubberized recoil pad.
Standing in at 95,88 cm / 37.75" overall, and weighing in at 2,9 kg / 6.4lb. when empty, the Marlin Model 1894 Classic lever action carbine features, among others, a manual cross-bolt safety located on the right side of the receiver, just in front of the hammer; a hooded, fixed brass bead front sight; and an adjustable semi-Buckhorn rear sight. The receiver is also drilled and tapped for optics mounts.
The newly reintroduced Marlin Model 1894 Classic lever-action rifle is available on the US market at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1,239.00; for information concerning local availability and pricing outside of the United States, consult your authorized Ruger Firearms distributor.